Fluid dispenser



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United States Patent 3,272,4tl4 FLUID DHSPENSER Spencer E. Graves, Tustin, Califi, and Fred A. Rolairds, .112, 14361 Clarissa Lane, Tnstin, Calif; said Graves assignor to said Robirds Filed Nov. 10, 1964, Ser. No. 419,199 12 Claims. (Cl. 222396) This invention relates to a detachable device for dispensing fluids from containers and more particularly to a low pressure gas operated fluid dispenser which can be easily attached to containers and disassembled for cleaning and repair.

Prior to this invention fluid dispensers which were suitable for thin-Walled relatively small containers of liquid were subject to a number of disadvantages. Some of these dispensers were permanently attached to the containers and hence were limited to use with a single container. Detachable dispensers often needed special mounts for engagement with containers and were not suitable for attachment to thin-walled containers since under pressure leakage was likely to occur. In addition, previous dispensers often were not easy to disassemble for cleaning and repair. Hence, manufacturers of liquids to be supplied to the public in small containers are in need for an adaptable, economical and eflicient fluid dispenser which is readily attachable to their containers of liquid.

The subject invention eliminates these deficiencies of the fluid dispensing devices available previously and has as a primary object the provision of a self-contained, gas-operated, detachable fluid dispenser which is particularly suitable for attachment to thin-walled containers.

Another object is to provide a fluid dispenser which can be easily disassembled for cleaning and repair.

A further object is to provide a fluid dispenser which operates under low pressure and contains a safety relief valve to relieve excessive pressures that may be built up in containers to which it is attached.

An additional object of this invention is to provide a fluid dispenser which is operated by pressure from an interchangeable gas cylinder.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description and drawings showing a preferred embodiment of this invention.

Accordingly, the subject invention is designed to readily utilize low-pressure sources of gas that will not tend to rupture relatively small thin-walled containers. In particular such containers could be one to two gallon containers of beer which can be dispensed by means of this invention with a gas source of an ordinary 3 to 4 inch long carbon-dioxide cylinder.

In general this invention includes a movable dispenser valve which is slidable within the internal bore of a valve head. The valve head has a mount for attachment of a gas cylinnder so that it can eject gas into the valve head without leakage to the outside atmosphere. A detachable gas cylinder holder permits gas cylinders to be interchanged as they are expended.

A spigot is provided as a portion of the valve head for discharge of fluid from a container to which the valve head is attached. The valve head is removably attached to a container so as to provide an air-tight seal between the end of the valve head and the container.

When the dispenser valve is slidably moved to an open position passageways through the valve head between a gas inlet and gas outlet which communicate with the container are opened substantially simultaneously with passageways communicating between the fluid inlet adjacent the container and the fluid outlet of the spigot. When the dispenser valve is moved to a closed position,

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these passageways are blocked so as to prevent gas and liquid flow. In this position, if excessive pressure is in the container, a resiliently urged safety relief valve within the valve head will open so as to allow fluid to escape out the spigot. The valve can be moved to an intermediate position where the gas passageway is closed but the fluid passageway is open. A safety reiief mechanism is provided as an outlet for excessive pressure.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 shows a side elevational view of the subject fluid dispenser attached to a container which has a cutout section for viewing the engagement of the dispenser with the container.

FIGURE 2 is a perspective top view of a container which has a place for an opening to which the fluid dispenser can be attached outlined upon its top surface.

FIGURE 3 is a side sectional, partially elevational view of the fluid dispenser attached to a container with the valve in a closed position.

FIGURE 4 is a side sectional, partially elevational view of the fluid dispenser with the valve in a partially open position.

FIGURE 5 is a side sectional, partially elevational view of the fluid dispenser with the valve in the open posit-ion.

FIGURE 6 is a cross-sectional view of the valve and valve head taken on line 66 of FIGURE 4 and includes a partially fragmented elevational view of the handle.

FIGURE 7 is a cross-sectional view of the fluid dispenser valve, valve head, relief valve, passageways and spigot taken on line 7-7 of FIGURE 4 and includes a fragmented elevational view of the gas cylinder holder.

FIGURE 8 is a cross-sectional view of the fluid dispense r valve, valve head, passageways and spigot taken on line 8-8 of FIGURE 5 and includes an elevational view of the relief valve and a fragmented elevational view of the gas cylinder holder.

FIGURE 9 is an exploded elevational view of the parts of the liquid dispenser.

FIGURE 10 is a sectional view of the gas cylinder holder attached to a fragmental portion of the valve head with a spacer block inserted so as to be usable with a small size gas cylinder as shown.

With reference to the drawings, valve head 12 forms the supporting structure for the fluid dispenser and has an internal bore 14 extending within it longitudinally which is open at both ends. Thus, valve head 12 roughly define-s a hollow tube. This internal bore 14 is preferably circular in shape. A portion of the valve head 12 is shaped to form a spigot 16 which has a .fluid outlet 18 that communicates with a fluid outlet passageway 22.

Attacha'ble to the valve head 12 is a gas cylinder holder 24 which is a hollow capsule that has an opening in one end only. A spacer block 25 can be fitted inside the gas cylinder holder 24. Within the opening of the gas cylinder holder 24 is an internally threaded portion 26 which is adapted to be screwed onto a complementarily threaded portion 27 of the gas cylinder mount 28 portion of valve head 12. In order to provide an air-tight fit between the open end of the gas cylinder holder 24 and the gas cylinder mount 28 an O-ring seal 30 is recessed within an appropriate peripheral portion of the gas cylinder mount 28. A gas cylinder 32 which will fit within the hollow internal portion of the gas cylinder holder 24 is supported within the gas cylinder mount 28 by gas cylinder adapter 29. This gas cylinder adapter is a hollowed out portion of the gas cylinder mount positioned so that a puncturable end of a gas cylinder mounted therein rests against puncture pin 34 in the bottom of the adapter 28. Of course the size and shape of the gas cylinder holder 24 and gas cylinder adapter 29 can be varied so as to fit various shapes and sizes of gas cylinders. Also, a spacer 25 such as shown in FIGURE can be inserted in the gas cylinder holder 24 so that smaller size gas cylinders may fit therein.

At the bottom of the gas cylinder adapter 29 is a gas inlet 36 which is connected to a gas inlet passageway 38 which communicates with the internal bore 14 of the valve 12. A gas outlet passageway 42 also communicates with the internal bore 14 and terminates at gas outlet 44.

The valve head 12 has a flange 46 which is designed to abut the surface of a container such as 47 having an opening 49 to which the valve is attached so that the flange sealing ring 48, which is an O-ring that is recessed in the abutting surface of the flange 46, provides an'air-tight fit between the valve head 12 and the container 47 to which it is secured. The valve head 12 is secured to a suitable container at the shank portion 52 of the valve head 12 by means of the externally threaded shank portion 54. A particularly solid engagement is provided by this externally threaded shank portion 54 because it preferably has a double set of threads matched to fit a suitable opening 47' in the container 47 to which it is to be attached. In FIGURE 2 an example of a container 47 with an outlined o enable section 49 is shown. When the section 49 is removed the opening 47' can be engaged with the thread portion 54.

Extending longitudinally within the internal bore 14 of the valve head 12 is dispenser valve 56 which conforms substantially to the shape of the internal bore 14 but is slightly smaller than the bore so that it easily slides within the bore. Fitted within one end of the valve 56 is a dispenser valve core 58 which can be removed from valve 56 for cleaning but is securely engaged to the valve 56 during normal operation of the valve and sealed thereto by O-ring core seal 60. A hollow internal core passageway 62 passes longitudinally through the dispenser valve core 58, and communicates with fluid inlet 64 where inlet tube 66 is connected. This inlet tube 66 is preferably bent so as to reach the bottom of a container 47 as shown in FIGURE 1. Fluid outlet recesses 68 and 72 in the dispenser valve core 58 and the dispenser valve 56, respectively, are aligned so as to define passageways in communication with the core passageway 62. A relief outlet 74 communicates with the core passageway 62 and is on the end of the dispenser valve core 58 which is opposite from the fluid inlet 64 end. However, in normal operation the relief outlet 74 is closed by an adjacent ball relief valve 78 which is resiliently urged toward the relief outlet 74 by spring 82 and seated on relief valve seal 84 so as to block the relief outlet 74. The relief valve 78 and spring 82 form a resilient safety device which is mounted in pocket 85 of the dispenser valve 56. A relief passageway 86 is in communication with the pocket 85 and relief passageway outlet 88. There may be a plurality of relief passageways 86 and relief passageway outlets 88.

The dispenser valve 56 is provided with valve sealing rings 92, 94, 96, 97 and 98 which make the slidable dispenser valve 56 fit snugly within the internal bore 14 of the valve head 72 and prevent fluid leakage within the bore 1-4 past the seals. These are positioned so as to block or open passageways as the valve is moved.

A handle 102 is attached to the valve head 12 through a connection at swivel 104 which may be attached by any suitable means such as the bolt and nut shown. The handle 102 has a pivot arm 106 which extends through an opening 107 in the valve head 12 to engage a slot 108 in the valve 56 at pivot end 112 of the handle 102. A closing spring 114 may be attached between the handle 102 and the valve head 12 to urge the handle to the closed position shown in FIGURE 3. This closing spring 114 is swivelly connected to the handle 102 at swivel 104 and resiliently contacts both the valve head 12 and the handle 102 so as to urge the dispenser valve 56 which is engaged by the pivot end 112 of the handle 1102 to its closed position. The pivot end 112 is rounded 4 and slot 108 is suitably sloped so as to move valve 56 within the internal bore 14 as the handle 102 is partially rotated about swivel 104.

In order to use this fluid dispenser it is attached to a closed receptacle of liquid such as container 47 which is desired to be dispensed. The embodiment shown is provided with a double set of threads on its shank portion which is threadably engaged in a complementary hole 47 in the container 47 and screwed down against the container 47 until the flange portion 46 and its sealing ring 48 abuts the container 47 so as to form an airtight seal between the container 47 and the flange portion 46 of valve head 12. The inlet tube 66 is preferably bent and of such a length that it will extend close to the bottom of the container 47 so that even small amounts of liquid may be dispensed by this fluid dispenser.

In operation a gas cylinder 32 is inserted in holder 24 of the valve head 12 which is then screwed down upon the gas cylinder mount 28 so that the gas cylinder 32 is punctured by puncture pin 34. The gas released from the punctured gas cylinder is sealed from escaping out of the gas cylinder holder by ring seal 30. Hence, it can only go out the gas inlet 36 and down the gas inlet passageway 38 to internal bore 14. If the valve 56 is in the position shown in FIGURES 3 or 4 the gas will be blocked from flowing further by the valve sealing rings 92 and 94. However, if the valve 56 is in the open position shown in FIGURE 5 there is a passageway defined by the bore 14 of the valve head 12 and the periphery of the valve 56 in the space between sealing ring 94 and sealing ring 96 through which the gas coming through the gas outlet passageway 38 can flow. The gas then flows through this peripherally defined space to the gas outlet passageway 42 and out the gas outlet 44 around the valve 12 and between the threads 54 and opening 47 and into the closed container of liquid 47 which is sealingly engaged to the valve head 12. It should be noted that there is a suflicient annular tolerance between the threads 54 and opening 47 so that the gas will not be obstructed on its path into the container.

This injection of gas into the closed container of liquid 47 will increase the pressure on the liquid therein.

Hence, a proportionate amount of fluid will be forced out of the container 47 through the inlet tube 66 to the fluid inlet 64 and then through the core passageway 62 to the fluid outlet recesses 68 and 72. The various inlets, outlets and seals of this dispenser valve are so positioned that when the gas can communicate between the gas inlet passageway 38 and the gas outlet passageway 42 substantially simultaneously the fluid outlet recesses 68 and 72 are aligned with the fluid outlet passageway 22. Thus, the pressurized liquid can flow through the fluid outlet recesses 68 and 72, the fluid outlet passageway 22 and out the fluid outlet 74 of the spigot 16 in this open position.

When handle 102 is moved to the open position shown by FIGURE 5 there is substantially simultaneous communication between the gas inlet and the gas outlet and between the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet as hereinbefore described. When the handle is moved to the closed position shown in FIGURE 3 there is no communication between the gas inlet and gas outlet nor between the fluid inlet and fluid outlet. Hence, liquid will not flow out the spigot under ordinary operation of the valve in this position. However, since it is possible that an extraordinary amount of pressure may be at times in the container 47 which could rupture the seals of the valve or cause other damage, a safety relief mechanism is provided.

This safety relief mechanism is comprised of the ball relief valve '78 which is mounted in pocket and urged against relief outlet 88 by spring 82. The resilient urging of spring 82 against relief valve 78 is enough to prevent leakage around the relief valve 78 under ordinary operation. However, when a predetermined amount of pressure is against the relief valve 78 in the core passageway 62 the relief valve 78- will slide back into the pocket 85 and allow communication between core passageway 62, relief passageway 86, relief outlet 88 and fluid outlet passageway 22 so that the over-pressurized fluid can flow out of fluid outlet 18 in spigot 16.

In the intermediate position shown in FIGURE 4 communication between the gas outlet and gas inlet is blocked but there is communication between the fluid inlet and fluid outlet so that if there is suflicient pressure within the container of liquid that is 'being dispensed it can flow out the spigot 16.

A special advantage of this liquid dispenser is that it can easily be disassembled for cleaning or repair, as shown in FIGURE 9. The valve 56 can be removed from within the internal bore 14 of the valve head 12 by simply sliding it out of the bore after disconnecting any attachment there may be between the handle 102 and the valve head 12 so that the handle 102 may be lifted out of engagement with the valve. Then the valve 56 can be further disassembled by pulling valve core 58 out of valve 56. Relief valve 78 and relief valve spring 82 are fitted loosely in the pocket 85 of the valve 56 and so can easily be removed. Gas cylinder holder 24 can be unscrewed from the gas cylinder mount 28 and any gas cylinder mounted therein then readily removed.

Although a preferred embodiment of the invention has been hereinbefore shown and described, this invention is not intended to be limited thereto but shall encompass all embodiments within the scope and spirit of the following appended claims.

What we claim as our invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A fluid dispenser comprising a container, a valve head having a longitudinal bore and a gas inlet, a gas outlet, a fluid inlet, a fluid outlet, and means for removably attaching said valve head to said container so as to provide an air-tight seal between the container and the gas outlet and between the container and the fluid inlet, a slidable valve which fits in and is movable within the valve head bore to an open position whereby substantially simultaneously passageways are defined between the gas valve and the valve head through which the gas inlet can communicate with the gas outlet and the fluid inlet can communicate with the fluid outlet and whereby said slidable valve is movable to a closed position where said passageways permitting communication between the gas inlet and the gas outlet and between the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet are closed substantially simultaneously, handle means connected to said valve head and extending into said bore so as to be able to slidably move the valve between said closed and open positions, and a safety valve biased in position within said valve which allow-s communication between the fluid inlet and fluid outlet under a predetermined amount of excess pressure through the fluid inlet.

2. A fluid dispenser as defined by claim 1 wherein the handle means for moving the valve is resiliently attached to the valve head biasing said valve in a normally closed position where communication between the passageways within the valve head is blocked.

3. A fluid dispenser as defined in claim 1 wherein the safety Valve includes a spring-mounted ball relief valve which is seated so as to block a relief outlet within a passageway from the fluid inlet but which can be opened so as to define a passageway between the fluid inlet and fluid outlet upon the application of a predetermined amount of pressure.

4. A fluid dispenser comprising a container, a valve head having an internal bore, means for sealingly securing said valve head to said container in an air-tight relationship, said valve head having a fluid inlet for receiving fluid from said container, a fluid outlet which can communicate with said fluid inlet for relsease of fluid from said container, a gas inlet and a gas outlet for transmitting .gas under pressure to said container, a gas source removably attached to said valve head which can communicate with said gas inlet, a slidable valve mounted within the bore of said valve head which permits communication between the gas inlet and gas outlet and between the fluid inlet and fluid outlet substantially simultaneously when it is in an open position, handle means for moving said slidable valve to said open position where there is said substantially simultaneous communication between the inlets and outlets and to a closed position where there is no communication between the inlets and outlets, and a movable safety valve mounted on the valve within the bore of the valve head which, under predetermined amounts of excess pressure received from the fluid inlet opens a passageway so that said fluid inlet communicates with the fluid outlet so as to release fluid through the fluid outlet.

5. A fluid dispenser as defined by claim 4 wherein a tube is connected to the fluid inlet extending into said container.

6. A fluid dispenser as defined by claim 4 wherein the handle means for moving the valve releasably biases the valve in said closed position.

7. A fluid dispenser as defined in claim 4 wherein the source of gas is a gas cylinder which is attachable in an air-tight sea-led relationship to the valve head adjacent to the gas inlet of the valve head.

8. A fluid dispenser comprising a container, a valve head having an enclosed internal bore, a shank portion threadably securing the valve head to said container, a sealing means portion surrounding said shank portion which abuts said container to which it is secured and provides an air-tight seal between the container and the valve head, said valve head having a fluid outlet and a gas outlet positioned within said air-tight seal and a fluid outlet and a gas outlet positioned outside of said air-tight seal when the sealing means portion abuts a container, a removable holding means for sealingly attaching a gas source adjacent to the gas inlet on the valve head, a gas inlet passageway within said valve head between the gas inlet and the internal bore, .a gas outlet passageway within said valve head between the internal bore and the gas outlet, a fluid outlet passageway within said valve head between the internal bore and the fluid outlet, a valve slidable within said internal bore which has an internal core passageway that communicates with the fluid inlet and internal bore of the valve head, said valve defining passageways which are positioned so as to be substantially simultaneously connected between the gas inlet passageway and gas outlet passageway and between the fluid outlet passageway and core passageway when the valve is in an open position so that there is communication between the gas inlet passageway and the gas outlet passageway substantially simultaneously with communication between the core passageway and the fluid outlet passageway, said valve being slidable to a closed position whereby communication between the passageways is blocked, means for moving said slidable valve between closed and open positions, and a safety valve within the bore of said valve head which opens a relief passageway so as to permit communication between said fluid inlet and said fluid outlet under a predetermined amount of excess pressure through said fluid inlet.

9. A fluid dispenser as defined by claim 8 wherein the gas source is an interchangeable gas cylinder.

10. A fluid dispenser as defined by claim 8 wherein the means for moving the slidable valve is a spring loaded handle wherein one end thereof biases the valve in a normally closed position.

11. A fluid dispenser comprising:

(a) a container;

(b) a valve head having a longitudinal internal bore which opens at both ends of the valve head, an external gas cylinder mount portion having a gas inlet communciating through a gas inlet passageway with said internal bore, an external handle mount portion, a spigot portion defining a fluid outlet passageway terminating in a fluid outlet communicating with said internal bore, an externally threaded shank portion at one end of the internal bore threadably engaging said container, and a peripherally extending flange portion adjacent the externally threaded shank portion having means for sealingly defining an air-tight space by abutment with said container, said valve head having a gas outlet positioned within said airtight space when formed and communicating by means of a gas outlet passageway with the internal bore;

(c) a hollow gas cylinder holder engageable on the gas cylinder mount so as to seal an air-tight space between the gas cylinder holder and the gas inlet so that a gas cylinder mounted Within the gas cylinder holder can eject gas through the gas inlet;

(d) a valve slidable within the internal bore of said valve which sealingly engages the internal bore, said valve having a handle engaging slot, a longitudinally extending internal recess having a pocket end within the valve and an open end near the shank portion of the valve head, relief passageways communicating between the periphery of the valve and the pocket end of the internal recess and an outlet passageway communicating between the periphery of the valve and the internal recess;

(e) a valve core sealingly fitting within the internal recess of the valve, said valve core having a longitudinally extending internal core passageway terminating in a fluid inlet, fluid outlets communicating with the core passageway and a relief outlet communicating with the core passageway;

(f) a safety relief mechanism comprising a spring fitted into the pocket end of the internal recess of the valve and a ball relief valve mounted on said spring and sealingly releasably biased against the relief outlet in the core passageway;

(g) a handle swivelly mounted on the handle mount of the valve head and engaged in the handle engaging slot of the valve so as to be able to slidably move the valve between an open position where there is simultaneous communication between the gas inlet and gas outlet and between the fluid inlet and fluid outlet and to a normally closed position whereby communciation between the gas inlet and gas outlet and between the fluid inlet and fluid outlet is blocked by sealing engagement between the periphery of the valve and the internal bore of the valve head.

12. The fluid dispenser as defined by claim 11 wherein a fluid inlet tube is attached at the fluid inlet of the bore passage in the valve core and extends into said container and a spring engages the handle and valve head so as to releasably urge the valve to a normally closed position.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 8/1902 Kleinfeldt 137-212X 1/1919 Slater 222-397 

1. A FLUID DISPENSER COMPRISING A CONTAINER, A VALVE HEAD HAVING A LONGITUDINAL BORE AND A GAS INLET, A GAS OUTLET, A FLUID INLET, A FLUID OUTLET, AND MEANS FOR REMOVABLY ATTACHING SAID VALVE HEAD TO SAID CONTAINER SO AS TO PROVIDE AN AIR-TIGHT SEAL BETWEEN THE CONTAINER AND THE GAS OUTLET AND BETWEEN THE CONTAINER AND THE FLUID INLET, A SLIDABLE VALVE WHICH FITS IN AND IS MOVABLE WITHIN THE VALVE HEAD BORE TO AN OPEN POSITION WHEREBY SUBSTANTIALLY SIMULTANEOUSLY PASSAGEWAYS ARE DEFINED BETWEEN THE GAS VALVE AND THE VALVE HEAD THROUGH WHICH THE GAS INLET CAN COMMUNICATE WITH THE GAS OUTLET AND THE FLUID INLET CAN COMMUNICATE WITH THE FLUID OUTLET AND WHEREBY SAID SLIDABLE VALVE IS MOVABLE TO A CLOSED POSITION WHERE SAID PASSAGEWAYS PERMITTING COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE 